Women’s National Kayak Polo Team Competes at Cup of the North

Members of the U.S. Women’s National Kayak Polo squad headed to Canada for the Cup of the North, the annual international tournament hosted by the Edmonton Whitewater Paddlers. The tournament took place on February 9-10, 2013 at the Kinsmen Sports Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. A total of nineteen teams competed in three divisions, and athletes flew from as far as China to attend.

The tournament was part of the squad’s preparations for the 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia this summer, and the team was joined by coaches Steven Gale and Nigel Graham. After two exciting days of kayak polo, the squad took fifth place in the B Division. Team captain April Romeo commented that, “this is an important step in continuing to build women’s polo in the United States and a great opportunity to give new players exposure to international competition.” The squad will attend monthly training camps leading up to the World Games. The next camps are scheduled for Southern California in March and Oklahoma City in April.